


Half-Empty

by Derrierebender



Category: Free!
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Misunderstandings, Rating may go up, Written/Plotted Out before season 2, jealous Haru
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 04:58:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2297414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Derrierebender/pseuds/Derrierebender
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's just a normal evening at the Tachibana household, until, by pure incidental chance, Haru stumbles upon something that maybe he shouldn't have... Conclusions are jumped to and introspection is abound and maybe, just maybe, some good can come out of this misunderstood situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Jealous Haru gives me life. We need more jealous Haru being all pissy about Makoto's attention.

It's a complete accident that Haruka comes across it - honestly! He didn't mean to, really, it was just by pure chance his eye caught a glimpse of _something_ under Makoto's bed when he bent down to pick up his discarded towel off the floor.

Intentional or not, that doesn't change the fact that he _saw_  it.

Eyebrows furrowed, Haruka lays down on the floor, parallel to the bed, and reaches underneath to grab the item for further inspection. It takes some stretching and wiggling fingers to finally get a hold of it, but when he does, he pulls it out and confirms what he suspected.

_Ah._

A box of condoms.

Now, that's not a big deal - a box of condoms, so what? Most teenagers their age have them, either given to them by a parent or older sibling, purchased by themselves, or, perhaps, a mischievous friend. Hell, even _he_ has them (from his parents, after a more in-depth and detailed version of 'The Talk', around a year or so ago).

So, no, the fact that Makoto has a box of condoms under his bed is not a problem.

The problem is that it's an _open_ and _half-empty_ box of condoms.

The box had been tipped over, the shiny foil wrapper catching the light at just the right angle and reflecting it enough for his eyes to pick up on it.

The same towel he dropped before slides off his shoulders and to the ground, again. Haruka doesn't notice. His eyes widen in shock though, realizing the contents (or lack-there-of) in the box, and grips it more firmly, as if to confirm that _yes, what he is seeing is correct, that this is real_.

Suddenly, he feels like a rock is lodged in his throat, a dreadful ache filling his stomach, and the room seems a lot smaller. Because... because...

He doesn't want to think about it.

Just then, he hears Makoto calling for him from downstairs, saying dinners ready, or something - Haruka can't tell clearly since everything is muffled by the strong pulsing blood rushing through his veins. But what he does clearly hear is Makoto's foot steps slowly going up the stairs and -

Haruka scrambles, dropping to his knees, stomach on the floor, as he shoves the box as far as he can, back to the corner where he originally saw it. Quickly, he picks up the fallen towel, rubbing his still wet hair vigorously, back facing the door.

"Ah, good, you're out of the bath - I thought maybe you were still in there and I needed to fish you out," Makoto chuckles humorously, unaware of Haruka's discovery. "Dinner's ready, in case you didn't hear."

Haru only nods sullenly in response, tossing his damp towel on Makoto's bed.

"Haru?"

An internal debate wages inside him; should he ask Makoto about it? Confront him? Demand to know who he's been fu-

"Haru, are you okay?" Makoto's asks from the doorway, concern lacing his voice.

"Makoto, I..." Haruka swallows thickly, "I-I'm not feeling well. I'm going home."

He's lost his appetite.

Haruka doesn't wait to hear a response, pushing passed Makoto and racing down the stairs. He hears Makoto shout a "Haru!" at him, but it goes ignored.

Hurriedly, he shoves on his shoes in the entryway, apologizes to Makoto's parents and the twins for leaving so suddenly, but he needs to get home, like, **_now_**. The front door slams (more out of haste than malice), echoing through the house and leaving five sets of bewildered, confused eyes behind to stare at it with worry.

"Dear, what was that all about?" Mrs. Tachibana inquires softly, directed at Makoto.

"I... I'm not sure..." Makoto runs a hand through his hair and rubs his neck, eyes still fixed on the door. "I went upstairs to check on Haru and bring him down for dinner... He... He was acting kind of strange, said he wasn't feeling well, then he just... up and left."

His parents share a look of concern between them, saddened at the forlorn stare their son is giving the door, appearing about as dejected as a kicked puppy.

Mrs. Tachibana rubs his arm soothingly, "why don't you, after dinner, bring leftovers to Haru's place and see if he's alright - does that sound good?"

Makoto can only nod his agreement, and settles down at the table, Ren and Ran uncharacteristically subdued. They eat in near silence, a first in a long time.

~

Haruka takes two steps at a time up the stairs to his house, breathing hard and chest aching. He tumbles through the front door and rushes to the bathroom, realizing belatedly that he's still wearing Makoto's clothes, as he strips in record time. The fact that he can _smell_ Makoto's scent on them makes a pang of hurt ripple through his chest, because someone (maybe multiple someones) else has probably worn these clothes, smelled Makoto's scent on them, long after they've -

Haruka doesn't, **_can't_** , wait for the tub to fill all the way and jumps in, submerging as best he can in the shallow water as it continues to rise.

Why does he care? He shouldn't care. Makoto can sleep with whomever he wants, it's not like Haruka and him are _together_ or anything (despite the half-hearted rumors and playful remarks about their closeness). Haruka thought that, maybe, there was something more to Makoto's affection for him, but clearly that's not the case. So, it's none of his business and he has no right to say who Makoto can and can't hang out with, who he dates, who he -

 _Stop thinking about it._ Haruka clamps his eyes shut underwater, trying to dispel thoughts of Makoto with another person; Makoto giving them _That Look_ in his eyes; Makoto holding their hand; Makoto leaning over to give them a kiss on the cheek; Makoto hovering above them, his hair dampened by sweat and sticking to his forehead, skin flushed, panting, as he -

Haruka heaves his torso out of the water, gasping for air, lungs burning for oxygen. He takes a few deep breaths, shutting off the water before bringing his legs to his chest, arms curling around his shins to keep them place as he rests his head atop his knees.

He most certainly _Does Not Care._

Nope. Not at all.


	2. Assumptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru contemplates things, jumps to the most ridiculous conclusion and makes a phone call he will be very embarrassed about in the future - but it does end up helping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I'll have time to work on the other chapters this weekend like I had hoped so... here's this one for now.

Haruka stays in the bath for a long time - he's not sure how long, he isn't keeping track. His mind is too preoccupied to do so, anyway. He wishes he never found that stupid thing in the first place because, now? He can't stop _fucking_ thinking about it and won't get out of his _fucking_ head.

But Haruka really can't see _how_ it was possible that Makoto's been seeing someone. Or multiple someones. He's around Haruka practically all day - in the morning, at school, club practice, back at the Tachibana's every other evening for dinner and studying... The only time he can think of is on the weekends, possibly, but even then he's watching the twins or with Haruka or watching the twins _with_ Haruka. Unless, Makoto's lied about that. It's possible, though unlikely - Makoto's a horrible liar.

He sighs and blows bubbles into the water in frustration. So, someway or another, Makoto is able to bypass his friends and family to spend some intimate time with... some unknown person or persons.

Haruka's eyebrows furrow further as he sinks his head lowered into the water. It wasn't just a matter of _how_ Makoto was doing it, but _who_ Makoto was, well, _doing_. Makoto didn't seem like the type to be into casual sex. Haruka thought Makoto would need an... emotional connection, not just physical attraction, to someone, to feel comfortable doing those types of things with a person. But, then again, what did he know? It's not like he and Makoto _talked_ about these sort of things - what they found attractive, what qualities they look for in a person, who they like etc.

Was that weird? Don't friends usually discuss this stuff? They hadn't, not since elementary or middle school, if at that.

He knows Makoto was desirable - he received a handful confessions from girls so far in their high school career. But Makoto declined all of them... hadn't he? Haruka _thought_ he had. Was Makoto even _into_ girls? He never mentioned any that he was interested in... Did that mean he liked guys? Both? Neither?

Haruka leaned his head back against the tub and sighed.

Maybe it _was_ somebody they knew?

He immediately eliminates Nagisa and Rei - while they haven't officially announced anything yet, Haruka's pretty sure they're together. He saw the making out in locker room a few weeks ago when he went back to get something - they didn't notice him and he didn't mention it. They'd come out when they were ready to.

And they wouldn't cheat on each other, or ask third person to join them, at least he believe so, and if they _did_ they wouldn't ask _Makoto_ of all people.

So, Nagisa and Rei are out.

Gou, then? No, she might like ogling muscles, but she wouldn't want to be constrained to ogle only one set of muscles. Besides Haruka would notice something up between them if she and Makoto _were_ in that type of relationship.

(He pointedly ignores the voice in his head that reminds him that he didn't notice when Makoto started sleeping around in the first place.)

So, it's not Nagisa, not Rei, not Gou - he's not going of even entertain the thought of _Miss Amakata_... Who else does Makoto hang around enough to it even be feasible that he's -

Haruka is out of the tub and rushing to his room, dripping water on the tile and hardwood, nearly slipping multiple times, before he realizes what he's doing. He grabs his phone off his desk and unplugs the charging cord, scroll through his (measly) list of contacts and presses the call button.

The phone rings as Haruka paces back and forth in his room, still dripping with water, because _no, no way, not them, it can't be -_

After the third ring they pick up.

"Yo," Rin starts to say but Haruka cuts off his greeting.

"Are you fucking Makoto?" Haruka asks, trying to hide the venom in his voice.

There's a long pause before Rin replies with a baffled, "...huh?"

"Are you. Having sex. With Makoto." Haruka lilts, getting frustrated. "Intercourse. Coitus. Doing the - "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa wait, who is this? Is this Haru? Nanase-fucking-Haruka is calling me and asking... What the _fuck_ are you talking about!?"

Well, now Haruka feels silly, because Rin is obviously _not_ the person who Makoto's been seeing. He'd be smug and try to rub it in Haruka's face, not play dumb.

"What about your roommate? Your captain? Anybody on your team? Have they been... hanging around Makoto, recently?" Haruka's voice is edging on panic.

"Haru, seriously, slow the fuck down give me a second - " He hears some rustling on the other line and a door being closed - Rin's probably moving to the hallway, or outside.

"Okay, now let me get this straight - you want to know if I, or anyone I know, has been in Makoto Tachibana's - your best friend's, pants. What the fuck, Haru?"

 _Well when he puts it that way_... Yeah this was a completely horrible idea and was not thought through, at all. Rin takes the silence on the other end as a 'yes'.

"Y'know, I thought this might've been an _actual_ emergency, since you never even _text_ anyone, let alone call, and of course it's about Makoto - geez. Why'd I think anything different?" Rin sighs, "to answer your question: no - I have not slept with Makoto, nor do I know of anybody on my team who has, even though it's none of your business if I or they were. And, seriously, you're asking if Seijuro, the guy who has the biggest crush on my sister, is having sex, with Makoto." Silence. "Really, Haru, what's this about? What makes you think any of that is possible?"

"I... uhm..." Haruka starts, trying to find the words to explain himself. "I-I found, uh, a box of... condoms... in Makoto's room, earlier, and... it was open and... a good amount of them were... gone."

There's a pause, letting the information sink in.

"No. Fucking. Way." Rin sounds too amused for Haruka's liking, and scowls. "You mean to say that baby-faced, angel, saint Tachibana-fucking-Makoto is getting some?"

Haruka doesn't dignify Rin's musings with an answer.

"No shit. Well, I mean, getting laid by someone other than _you_ that is."

"What?" Haruka's heart stutters.

Rin groans, "really? You're telling me you're _that_ oblivious to how Makoto treats you? He looks at you like the sun shines out of your ass."

_Okay, so he wasn't the only one who noticed, but still..._

"Well that's _obviously_ not true seeing as he's _apparently_ screwing somebody else. If you just going to mock me, I'm hanging up."

"Fine, fine - but, damn..." Haruka can almost hear Rin running his fingers through his hair, "I didn't think Tachibana would be the one to get around..."

"Yeah."

"Are you sure this isn't some misunderstanding? Did you ask Makoto about it?"

"..."

"You didn't - " it's not a question. Rin groans, again, "I'm surrounded by idiots."

Haruka pouts, not liking where this is going.

"Haru, _talk_ to him about it first, then freak out. Geez. There could be a million reasons - well, okay, maybe not a _million_ , but there are other explanations. Call me _after_ you talk to him."

Haruka listens to the dial-tone, unmoving, words caught in his throat.

_I'm afraid of the answer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Rin being 986159% DONE with Haru (concerning the inevitable relationship of his two best friends)

**Author's Note:**

> I have this part written out and another - there might be up to 3-5 parts, depending on how everything fits...


End file.
